Dairy plant to re-open in Batavia, create 230 jobs

A vacant dairy plant in Batavia is being re-purposed and will result in millions of dollars of investment in that facility and more than 200 jobs.

That announcement was made by Governor Andrew Cuomo Tuesday when he visited the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park.

The dairy company HP Hood is buying the plant previously operated by the Muller-Quaker venture a couple of years ago, and Hood will use the plant to make extended shelf-life dairy products.

Cuomo credits state and Genesee County economic development officials for being persistent in trying to find a new use for the plant.

“They have taken this facility, the facility is actually now going to be more developed and more sophisticated and create more jobs and in some ways actually do more for the dairy industry.”

Cuomo says that dairy is big business in New York State.

“You know, people forget what agriculture is to the Finger Lakes, and what the dairy industry is to the Finger Lakes, which is the largest engine within the agricultural economy. (Dairy) is a $3 billion business…in the Finger Lakes.”

The plant will create 230 jobs when it opens in 2019. Construction begins this summer and that will generate more than 500 construction jobs.

New York State will provide up to $5 million in tax credits and a $2 million grant.